Debates of March 4th, 2009

Correctional Service Canada

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad case, which we are all moved by when we review it. I appreciate the opportunity it presents to shine a light on the importance of focusing on mental health in our corrections system.

In recent years we have actually seen considerable progress by Correctional Service of Canada to improve the level of treatment that it provides to those with mental health challenges, to provide, for example, earlier assessments for those when they enter our correction system, but there still remains a lot more to do.

I invite the other parties to join with me as we do that work to try to improve our correction system, and especially how we deal with the mentally ill.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, focusing light is not enough. It is very clear that we need action. The investigative report concludes that the government's actions are wholly inadequate.

The violations in Ashley's case include keeping her alone and in segregation for all of her time in federal custody, against their own rules; failing to provide her with a proper mental health assessment and treatment; and the improper use of force.

The report has been on the minister's desk for eight months and he has failed to go far enough and fast enough to prevent deaths in custody.

How many more teenagers who need mental health care instead of hard time in jail will have to suffer, or even die, before the minister acts?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, some considerable progress has been made already and I can highlight some additional changes that have been made by Correctional Service of Canada. It has now introduced mental health awareness training for staff, which is now provided to all individuals, not just in the institutional context but also in the community context. We are providing additional support there on a mental health level.

We are also working with the provinces and territories,which also have corrections systems that face similar challenges, to find how we can share best practices to improve that.

I look forward to extending these discussions to deal with the broader question of the mentally ill and how they end up in our corrections system, where that may not be the best place for them in the first place.

International Trade

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the weekend, we learned that Dow AgroSciences is taking court action under chapter 11 of NAFTA on the grounds that Quebec's pesticides management code violates its right to sell 2,4-D, a potent herbicide.

Will the Minister of International Trade promise to defend Quebec's pesticides management code in order to guarantee its right to legislate and adopt regulations that are in the public interest?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we will permit provinces and governments to defend the decisions they make in the public interest with respect to public health and we will work with the Province of Quebec to improve the situation and defend its priorities and its rights in this case.

The Environment

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Trade says he wants to defend Quebec's position in relation to chapter 11 of NAFTA, while the Minister of the Environment, on the other hand, is telling the United States that we must ensure that our policies are compatible. They must not conflict with one another.

The Minister of the Environment is undermining the efforts of the Minister of International Trade. Does he realize that, based on his reasoning, he is also lowering environmental standards and thereby making things easier for Dow Chemical, to the detriment of Quebec?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I do not agree. My visit to the United States was very productive for our discussion on clean energy. I was able to talk to my counterparts about our plan for Canada and, of course, about a continental approach to fighting climate change. The Bloc should put partisanship aside and stand up to applaud us.

Health

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to an earlier report, public health officials in four provinces had been informed last July that strains of listeria had entered the food chain. According to news reports, these officials told the CFIA to intervene prior to the outbreak that killed 20 people.

Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell the House why he did not act immediately to protect the health of Canadians?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, food safety has been and continues to be our number one priority. In fact, it was this government that named a very qualified investigator, Sheila Weatherill, to head a federal investigation into this matter, and we look forward to receiving her recommendations.

Canadians are pleased with the actions being taken. In fact, the Ottawa Citizen said:

The appointment of Sheila Weatherill...to head a federal probe into last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak is a welcome step to restoring confidence in Canada's food safety system.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, is the government's concern over political fallout blinding it to its responsibility in this matter?

As my colleague stated, in July, four provinces informed CFIA that a listeriosis outbreak was occurring. We also know that CFIA officials and industry met in July and yet three weeks later the minister attacked opposition MPs for fearmongering for forcing an emergency committee meeting. Then he clammed up and went into hiding.

Did the Prime Minister order a cover-up here or was it his rogue minister gone astray?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about accountability. Under the Liberals, food safety was cut in 1994 and again in 1995. If that was not enough, they cut it again in 2005. It is a good thing they were not re-elected in 2006 or they would have cut it again.

This government has committed an additional $113 million to food safety and we have put to work an additional 200 inspectors.

Steel Industry

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the shutdown of U.S. steel operations in Hamilton and Lake Erie has hit the people of my community very hard. Over 2,100 people do not know when they will get to go back to work. Now the Canadian press is reporting that the minister was unaware and was caught by surprise.

If the minister is that out of touch with the steel industry, he should resign.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that I was informed of the industry's intentions just yesterday morning and it was public information by yesterday afternoon.

What I will not take are lectures from members of the NDP about protecting workers when they voted against our budget, which is there for the workers, for EI, for retraining, for infrastructure and for rebuilding our county.

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government's failure to include a domestic preference provision in the stimulus package is aggravating the challenges to Canada's steel industry. There is no strategy to protect the jobs of today and no strategy to create the green collar jobs of tomorrow.

I know I speak for the workers in Hamilton and Nanticoke when I say that we need a buy-Canadian policy in line with NAFTA and WTO and we desperately need a strategy for the future.

When will the government stand up for the steel industry and the thousands of working families that depend on it?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, if we want to protect jobs, which we do and which we have addressed in a very significant way in our comprehensive economic statement, the way to do that is to open up opportunities for our products and for our services.

It is very clear that if trade walls are built up, economies will go down. We do not want that to happen, which is why we will be there for the steel industry, the forestry industry, the auto industry and the agriculture industry. We are there for the workers and the manufacturers of Canada.

Justice

[Dona Cadman, Conservative, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday there was wide media coverage of a recent study that found that more than one in five sexual assaults are aided by date rape drugs or other substances that sedate the victims. In recognition of this growing problem, bars are starting to introduce measures to protect female patrons from their drinks being laced.

Could the Minister of Justice please inform the House what actions the government is taking to protect Canadians from criminals who use these drugs on their victims prior to assaulting them?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday we tabled the most comprehensive bill to crack down on illegal drugs this country has seen in many years.

We are increasing the penalties for that kind of activity and will now classify date rape drugs along with cocaine and heroin. If anybody gets the idea that it would be a good idea to start selling these drugs to young people, if they want import, manufacture or export these drugs, we have a very clear message for them: they will go to jail.

Ukraine

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has cut consular staffing levels at the Canadian embassy in Kyiv by one-third. This drastic cut has led to a one-third decline in immigration from Ukraine to Canada and, according to departmental tables, the fourth-slowest processing time for visitor visas in the world. This Conservative policy is blocking Ukrainians from immigrating to Canada or visiting loved ones.

When will the minister increase staffing in Kyiv to previous Liberal levels?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member has only been here a few years, so he may not understand that consular staff actually work on consular files, not immigration files. If he wants to talk about consular staff, he should talk to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

With respect to immigration, we have a large and robust immigration program in Ukraine. I visited Kyiv in November and I am pleased to say that we are seeing a significant number of immigrants from Ukraine choosing to come to Canada, and a growing number through the provincial nominee program. In fact, when I was there, I saw over 20 employers from Saskatchewan working with our officials to identify Ukrainian workers to come and help build Canada, and we are proud of that.

CFB Shannon

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a number of grief-stricken people called out for help at the funeral for young Alexandre Mallette-Lafrenière, who had come to symbolize the fight against tainted water in Shannon. One person said, “For our whole lives, we are going to live with the fear that one day we will go through the same thing.” And another added, “We hope Alexandre did not die in vain.”

In response to such distress, will the government finally show a human face to the people of Shannon and take real action to decontaminate the water table and compensate the victims?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, this government has announced an approach to compensate the people of Shannon and an initiative to improve the water system. That is in addition to the other announcements the government has made. At the same time, we need to work with the provincial government, the municipality of Shannon and the military base to make sure that the water is safe in future.

Taxation

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Swiss bank UBS has been sentenced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for complicity in tax evasion in the United States. This bank is also active in Canada. Nearly $6 billion has escaped the grasp of the Department of National Revenue. Sound economic management is essential in times of crisis. Transparency must be the rule, and the rules must be followed.

Why do we have to learn about tax evasion practices in Canada through an American investigation? What will the minister do to remedy the situation?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, of course, it is important that both corporations and individuals pay their taxes to the government. This is an important principle if we are to protect our tax base and ensure that some do not have to pay more tax because others are cheating or neglecting to pay what they owe.

As long as people do business abroad, file their returns and comply with our laws, that is okay. When they do not, that is not okay. We are partnering with other countries to try to find ways to eliminate tax havens.

The Environment

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Minister of the Environment travelled to Washington to meet with key officials of the Obama administration, as well as Senator Kerry and Representative Waxman, to continue the clean energy dialogue.

Could the Minister of the Environment please update the House on the success of his visit to Washington?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his extraordinary work on the environment committee.

I would like to report to the House that this government and the Obama administration share the same vision and the same principles with respect to reducing greenhouse gases. Our two countries believe in particular in expanding clean energy research as well as developing and deploying clean energy technology.

Our two countries will continue to lead green energy developments, including renewables and hydro, as well as carbon capture and storage to clean their coal and our oil.